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For those of you who don’t know what an anchor bolt is, it’s usually an L shaped bolt that goes into the concrete and is used to connect the bottom framing plates to the concrete slab, footing or building foundation. But here are some of the things that you might not know about your building foundation and metal bolts and how they can work more efficiently together.

Did you know that there are different lengths of anchor bolts? Do you know that there are different sizes of foundation bolts, for instance I’ve seen foundation bolts as small as 3/8 of an inch and as large as three quarters of an inch. It’s hard to imagine that we need so many different types of L bolts for our building foundation.

Now here’s something that even some builders have a problem with. It’s not a big problem, but I’ve seen contractors argue with structural engineers about which types of anchor bolts are actually going to be required for one particular project. Now remember, most builders don’t have the knowledge or the responsibility a structural engineer might have, about building foundation, especially if it ever failed.

The biggest problem with contractors and builders who think that they know more about building foundations and L bolts than the structural engineers or even the city engineers, should try to keep one thing in mind. They’re not responsible for any structural problems that were assembled according to the building plans, but the structural engineers are.

The next time that you’re looking at a set of blueprints and it calls out for a 7 inch minimum anchor bolt embedment, make sure that you purchase the right L bolt’s for that particular job. I’m not writing this article, because I’ve never seen this happen, I’m writing this article, because I know someone who installed the wrong anchor bolts on one of their projects. These L bolts were later removed as the city building inspector requested a correction for the change.

The building inspector found the problem and the contractor got the education. Even though the contractor knew better, he still got the education.

There is not much of a difference between horizontal and vertical milling machines. Both of these equipments are indispensable in cutting parts uniformly and quickly. These days’ horizontal machines are becoming more popular due to its overhead arm and its arbor driven cutters. These are also very easy to operate with few steps to remember. Some of the benefits of using horizontal milling machines are discussed below:

Design and set up: If you are looking to manufacture products which are cost-effective and of high quality, then a vertical milling machine should be of great help. They have scientific designs suitable for dealing with various hard materials. The time taken for this process is minimal and so as the number of steps required operating it. There is no need for a large set up to install these machines and also no need to employ numerous workers. You can have substantially savings on the labor cost, which is often the key setback in a manufacturing environment.

Automation and programming: The finished products of vertical machines are of finer quality, with better finishing. As a result, you get the final output, just as you would have planned. Majority of the modern horizontal milling machines are completely automated and requires minimal human intervention. Prior programming and automation result in minimal errors in production, with 25% less processing time.

Reduced processing time: These equipments perform diverse functions just like a general machine as well as other activities like tapping and boring. One milling machine performs these in one operation. Advanced milling also reduces the need for manual labor significantly, which significantly reduced the operational cost unlike earlier times. These machines no longer require multiple set ups and change in tools. Horizontal milling machines are advanced and do not require frequent movement of parts, location wise. These advancements have reduced delay in processing time drastically.

Arm supports and clutters: Horizontal machines have features of arm supports and clutters, which are driven by an arbor. These two features help to add value in production. You should pay attention to reduce incidence of accidents and ensure maximum safety. Maintenance of cutters is required at a proper interval of time to maintain its sharpness. Check the location of arm support while they awhile dealing with arbors for maximum results.

Horizontal milling machines should be purchased from a reputed and trusted vendor. Prior research is needed before choosing any model and make of equipment. Online stores are also great options to purchase them.

Milling cutters are essential cutting tools needed in a milling machine. Different types of milling cutters are available in many sizes and shapes to efficiently perform any type of cutting work. Read on to know the different types of milling cutters.

End mill

This is a tool with cutting teeth on one end and on its sides. Made of a high speed steel (HSS), the end mill cutter is the most common tool used in a vertical milling machine.

Roughing end mill

A roughing end mill removes a huge chunk of material in a wavy cutting pattern. This cutting mill produces a rough surface finish and is also known as ripping cutters. The wavy teeth minimize the vibrations and chatter sounds that occur during the cutting process.

Slab mill

A cylindrical cutting tool that can be used individually or with other cutting tools for cutting horizontal surfaces, the slab mill is made from a HSS.

Face mill

Face mill cutters are capable of holding multiple tip inserts. This economical type of cutting tool has tips that are can be replaced when they become blunt. A face mill can perform various cutting actions due to the versatility of the inserts and tips that it can work with.

Hollow mill

A hollow milling cutter is a pipe shaped tool with thick walls. The cutting teeth, however, are on the inside surface area. This cutting tool is essentially used in finishing cylindrical protrusions.

Slot drill

A slot drill is a cutting tool that directly cuts straight into a material. It commonly has two or more fluted cutters and a singular tooth located at the center of the end face. Slot drills are generally used for making cuts in a keyway slot.

Ball nose cutter

The ball nose cutter is a hemispherical end cutter with a similar function to that of a slot drill. This is an ideal cutting tool for machines that shapes three dimensional contouring forms and shapes. Ball nose cutters are also commonly called ball mills.

Side-and-face cutter

The cutting of a side-and-face cutter is located on its circumference and side portion. They are available in different widths and diameters. The side teeth functions to cut only one side of the material.

Involute gear cutter

This twelve teeth cutting gear comes in eight cutter sizes. A circular cutting tool, it has cutting edges on its circumference.

Fly cutter

A fly cutter is an inexpensive tool that functions like a face mill. It is composed of one or two tool bits that rotate to remove shallow and facing cuts.

Woodruff cutter

Woodruff cutters are small tip cutters that are used in cutting keyways. It is an essential tool in key engineering.

Hobs are cutters used in a hobbing machine. These cutters are used to make gears abd provide the appropriate shape specification of each workpiece. It is also important to consider the least cost and the correct cutting specifications of a cutting work when choosing a milling cutter. Remember to always work safely with the every cutting tool.

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